Chapter 804 The Glorious Moment of the British Empire (First Update, Please Subscribe)
On September 1, 1875, the Third Advance Battalion of the Ming Empire's African Corps arrived at the mouth of the Orange River and occupied the area on the north bank of the river. After leaving a squadron of troops at the mouth of the river, Battalion Commander Sun Jitian led 975 soldiers and advanced inland along the Orange River.
Advance towards the vast interior of Africa.
A few days later, when No. 10 Downing Street received a telegram from the Cape Town Colony, Benjamin was completely dumbfounded. He did not realize the leak at all. After all, judging from common sense, even if the Ming Dynasty received intelligence about "seizing Africa", they could not have sent troops to the Orange River in such a short time.
What was the judgment they received?
The Ming army was attacking from multiple directions and was advancing into the heart of Africa from all directions. Facing this situation, Benjamin not only urged the army to set out as soon as possible, but also sent a secret telegram to the Governor of Cape Town Colony, ordering him to immediately form an expeditionary force to pass through the Kapp Plateau, cross the Molopo River, and march inland.
"Mr. Grey, we must turn the vast Africa into our colony before the Ming Dynasty does, so as to completely interrupt the Ming Dynasty's ambitions."
To show the importance of this task, Benjamin even described it in an exaggerated tone.
"Mr. Grey, please believe that this is the most important moment for the British Empire since the Battle of Trafalgar. Africa has become a vast land and sea. Our mission is to stop the Ming people there, just like Nelson stopped the French in the Battle of Trafalgar. Now the British Empire has once again sounded the clarion call for conquest. God can testify that our most critical moment has arrived..."
When George Grey, Governor of the Cape Colony, received the telegram from London, he was stunned by its contents.
What did George Grey feel besides being shocked?
It was an unprecedented sense of mission, and of course he could also imagine the glory he would have when he completed this task!
"For the future of the British Empire! For the interests of the British Empire in Africa!"
So the Cape Colony authorities immediately recruited an expeditionary force composed of volunteers and Boers. The reason for the temporary recruitment was that the colonial authorities' military strength was still very limited, and the relationship between the Cape Colony and the Boer Republic was not so tense, so there was no need to station a large number of troops.
Attracted by the generous treatment, thousands of volunteers joined the expedition. What attracted them was definitely not the so-called honor, but the generous material rewards!
"We will conquer all of Africa!"
As the army left Cape Town, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Plain made this solemn promise to the governor and colonial officials who were seeing them off.
He did have reason to be conceited. Although he had only 2,000 soldiers under his command, they were equipped with the world's top Enfield P1873 rifle, which was actually a magazine-type rifle redesigned by British weapons experts based on the Ming Dynasty's first-year rifle. In fact, it was basically the same. The British even paid a patent fee of 10,000 pounds for it.
It has a fast rate of fire and high accuracy. Once it came out, it replaced the Schneider rifle and became the main rifle of the British army. As for the famous Martini Henry rifle... it disappeared directly in the long river of history.
In addition to advanced rifles, they also had 6 cannons and 12 mortars.
Such a powerful army gave Lieutenant Colonel Henry Plain enough reason to be confident, and when he set out, Governor George Grey specifically reminded him.
"Lieutenant Colonel, your mission is to quickly march inland and get ahead of them. As for the follow-up, you don't have to worry. London has already transferred 12 regiments from India. They will arrive in Cape Town within the next month and will soon head north to join you."
For Britain, Indian talents are their imperial consumables!
Historically, the British used Indians to conquer and control most of Africa. It can be said that Indians are to Britain as the Japanese are to the Ming Dynasty.
In fact, they are all imperial consumables.
Compared with mobilizing troops from the UK, the cost of mobilizing troops from India is lower. As for casualties...the dead are all Indians anyway, so what does it have to do with Britain?
But before the imperial supplies arrive, I still have to go into battle myself, facing the governor's instructions. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Plain said confidently.
"Your Excellency the Governor, please rest assured that my advance team will depart from Kimberley first. They will enter the north before the Ming people. Believe me, we will definitely get there before them! And we will leave them far behind."
Facing the reporters who were interviewing him, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Plain even spoke in an extremely conceited tone.
"Gentlemen, when we entered the vast northern inland, the Ming army was still eating sand in the desert. You just wait here for my good news!"
Faced with the lieutenant colonel's conceited words, the reporters all laughed. Is this conceit? Of course not, this is confidence!
Because the desert stretching for thousands of miles along the coast of Southwest Africa is a natural obstacle to the Ming people's advance. The desert will block the Ming people at the edge of the coast, and they will eventually give up!
Just a few hours later, Colonial Secretary Earl Henry Herbert in London learned the news from Prime Minister Benjamin. After learning the news, Earl Henry Herbert spoke directly in a speech on the colonies in Parliament in the afternoon.
"Gentlemen, I remember someone once asked, where is the end of the empire?"
Earl Henry Herbert, standing on the podium, spoke in a passionate tone.
"I can responsibly tell all of you that the British Empire has no end, just like the sea has no end. This is also the fundamental reason why the British Empire owns the whole world. We will never limit ourselves to the present, we will look to the future! Even as we speak, an expeditionary force has set out. They are like the legions led by Alexander the Great. This legion will set foot on an unfamiliar land that has never been explored by humans. And now the British Empire will bring civilization to that land, just like Alexander the Great brought civilization to the unknown world at that time. Gentlemen, this is destined to be a great expedition!"
When Earl Henry Herbert finished speaking, members of the British Parliament stood up and applauded his speech. They were excited, they shouted, they cheered, and at that moment in their eyes, the glory of the British Empire was equated with Alexander the Great.
Earl Henry Herbert, the Colonial Secretary, was also excited. This was also his personal glorious moment. Was it the glory of the British Empire?
Yes, of course, it was more personal, because this was led by him as the Colonial Secretary. At this moment, Earl Henry Herbert seemed to see how he would be described in future newspapers - "Alexander of the British Empire!"
Just thinking about it makes me excited!
"Gentlemen, there is no doubt that the British Empire will win this expedition!"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
